Advertising-supported distribution of audio-video data may be implemented from a content server to remote client devices over computer networks, telecommunications networks, and combinations of such networks, using various methods, for example progressive downloading or streaming. Platforms for such distribution may include sites that offer a great variety of different programming, including both newly released episodes of serial programs, major features, documentaries, special events, archives of past episodes and classic serial programs, of different types targeted to users having various different demographic profiles or located in different areas, and in various formats for use on different kinds of player devices. One or more video ads may be inserted into each video program and sold to advertisers who are charged based on how many times each advertisement is played on a client device; i.e., for each video ad impression.
Ad buyers may often purchase a block of ads, sometimes called ad impressions, for delivery in association with primary content of a video streaming service over a defined period of time. For example, an advertiser wishing to promote a “Spring Sale Event” may purchase a number of video ads to be run in advance of and during the promoted event. Such a block of ads may sometimes be referred to as an “ad campaign.” The video streaming system then distributes the ads over the period of the ad campaign. For example, if 240,000 ads were purchased for an ad campaign to last ten days, the streaming system may distribute the ads at a constant rate of 240,000 ads/240 hours=1000 ads per hour. To stream the ads at this rate, at the beginning of each hour, the system may begin to include the purchased ads at appropriate locations in the streaming content, until all 1000 ads are delivered for the hour. For the remainder of each hour, no ads from the campaign may be delivered.
Consequently, prior methods of managing the pacing of video ads in a streaming video system may result in uneven distribution of ads with respect to time. These and other limitations of prior methods for managing the pacing of video ad delivery in an online video distribution system may be overcome by the novel methods and apparatus disclosed herein.